It seems as though every time you pick up a farm publication there is a headline about the high level of risk involved in today’s farms. High levels of risk also mean high levels of stress for most individuals. With so many other aspects of production, risk management and financial issues to worry about, you may think business and family communication is the least of your concerns. However, open and honest communication is even more important during times of high stress.

Communication matters because your farm operation is made up of people, and people feel more comfortable when they know what is happening within the business, even if the news is not good. Good communication can help to build trust, promote understanding and motivate those involved in the farm whether they are family or non-family employees.

Withdrawal and lack of communication sends a clear negative message about the future to employees and family members. It will appear as if management is giving up rather than trying to adjust to meet the challenges before them. Communication is certainly a challenge during difficult times, but if conducted effectively it can help lead your farm through stressful times.

Communication involves both talking and listening. When talking, or sending the message, be sure to be clear and concise. Listeners will begin to tune out if you are rambling, so assemble your facts and prepare what you want to say ahead of time. Be honest, but deliver your message with care and tact.

The use of ‘I’ statements are also important when discussing difficult subjects. ‘I’ statements help to keep the conversation positive and moving forward. For example instead of saying, “You shouldn’t be spending any more money on new equipment.” Try something like, “I’m not sure what your plans are for the new equipment purchase, can we talk about that some more?”

Some common problems that hinder effective communication you will want to avoid are as follows:

• Judging – projecting our own interpretation or judgment into someone else’s message.
• Criticizing – belittling another person’s feelings or opinions.
• Blaming – making it someone else’s fault.
• Name-calling – used as an attempt to win an argument rather than resolve the issue.
• Labeling – “the main problem around here is that you’re just plain lazy.”
• Moralizing – telling others that they ‘should,’ or ‘should not’ or ‘ought’ and ‘ought not’ to do.
• Advising – “If I were you, this is what I would do…”

The second part of communication is listening. Listening is difficult and is more than just hearing the words someone is speaking. Most often a speaker says only about 125 words per minute, while the typical listener can receive somewhere between 400 and 600 words per minute. This extra time can allow listeners to get sidetracked or start thinking ahead to what they are going to say next.

The key to good listening is to become an active listener who is prepared to listen. Put aside your own thoughts and focus on what the other person is saying and what they mean. Avoid giving your opinion or resolution suggestions before the speaker is finished. Do provide feedback to the speaker by nodding your head to show understanding or asking questions for clarification.

Make eye contact and lean forward toward the speaker. Becoming an engaged listener takes practice and concentration, but will help to improve communication within the family and the farm. Many times during periods of high stress, individuals need to share their thoughts and feelings about what is happening, and being a good listener will help to encourage employees and family members to communicate more about important issues.

Communication should not stop at the barn door. By staying in touch with outside advisers such as your lender, feed and seed dealers, agronomist, nutritionist, veterinarian, etc., you can gain valuable information to help make decisions concerning your operation. By keeping these lines of communication open, you will build strong relationships with this support group that can be very helpful in times of high stress for your farm.

One very important note to make is communication takes time and effort. It is easy to say, “I’ll do it tomorrow.” However, too often tomorrow comes and goes, and there has still been no effort made to increase communication between management and employees or within the family.

Stressful situations make it even more difficult to find time to communicate, as everyone is consumed by working to keep up and worrying about what will or could happen. It is during these times of high stress that it is even more important to make time to communicate with employees and family members.

One way to find time to communicate with employees and family members is to hold a family business meeting. This will provide an opportunity for the manager to share the current situation and for those involved to understand what is happening within the farm business. The group can then discuss the situation and develop an action plan to meet the challenges the farm is facing. The current situation may be bleak, but by communicating the manager is letting those around him/her know they value them as a part of the farm team.

Other ways to communicate may just be sitting down in the farm office for ten minutes of uninterrupted time, talking while working together or scheduling a set time each day to catch up with one another.

Finally, understand people communicate differently depending upon their personality characteristics. While some personalities are action-oriented and will want to get all the issues out in the open and get started on solving the problem immediately, others will need more time to understand the issues and then think about the issues before they begin to explore ways to tackle them. It will take an effective manager to recognize the differences in communication styles and adjust accordingly. The important thing to remember is to include employees and family members as much as possible by keeping the lines of communication open. PD

References omitted but are available upon request at editor@progressivedairy.com

—Excerpts from The Ohio Ag Manager Newsletter, May, 2009

Julia Woodruff
Extension Educator
Ohio State University
woodruff.94@osu.edu